Drill pipe cleaner



Sept. 23, 1941. E. J. TURNER DRILL PIPE CLEANER Filed Oct. 10. 1939-EDGAR J.TUR v INVENT BY ATTOR NER a3, A EYS- Patented Sept. 23, 1941mum. PIPE enema ad J. Turner, Sm. Paula, Calif... asslgn'or to The TexasCompany, New York,

poration of Delaware N. Y., a cor- Application October 10, 1939, SerialNo. 298,737

(01. ass-as) 1 Claim.

This invention relates to cleaning devices and more particularly to adevice for cleaning mud or other drilling fluid from the inside or astring of drill pipe while the latter is being withdrawn from a borehole.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device ofthis kind which, when once inserted in the upper end of the pipe string,will remove all of the mud therefrom efiectively and without furtherattention. Another object is to provide means whereby furthercirculation of mud or other drilling fluid down through the pipe stringmay be effected without removing the cleaning device from the pipe. Y

In drilling bore holes by the rotary method, a fluid such as mud iscirculated downwardly through the drill pipe string and out through thedrill bit and upwardly to the surface through the annular space aroundthe drill pipe. The mud fluid in returning to the'surface carriesupwardly the cuttings made by the drill bit. When it is desired for anyreason such as for the changing of the drill bit, to withdraw or pullthe string of drill pipe from the hole, the mud contained within thestring of pipe becomes a serious problem. When each section or stand ofpipe is unscrewed the mud contained in that section will spill and flowoutwardly on the derricl: floor and this obviously constitutes adefinite hazard to the drilling crew by keepin the tools and derrickfloor slippery. Furthermore, the drilling mud is often wasted and this--constitutes a considerable loss, particularly when using chemicallytreated mud and in locations where it is'difllcult to obtain supplies ofthe mud.

One method which has been tried in an efiort to prevent spilling andloss of the mud is to place a quantity of drilling fluid in the drillpipe,

which fluid is heavier than the mud already in the hole and drill pipe.Because of 'the greater weight of this added fluid it will :tend toforce the mud contained in the pipe string downwardly so that there willbe substantially no mud remaining in the pipe sections as they areunthreaded above the derrick floor. This method has severaldisadvantages among the more important of which are th high cost of thefluid weighting materials and the disturbing or the physical andchemical properties of the drilling flui'd. This method 'also requiresconsiderable additional time. a

In accordance with the invention, the device or tool, which may be usedin cleaning any string end of the pipe as soon as the kelly is removedon coming out of the hole. The tool engages the inner surface of thepipe and is of such weight that it will force the mud ahead, 1. e.,downwardlyuntil it reaches some level below the derrick floor where theweight of the drilling fluid displaced from the pipe string equals theweight of thetool itself. The tool will then remain at approximatelythis level below the floor oi the derrick' while the drill pip is beingpulled. It will eventually come to rest on the drill bit when all of thedrill pipe has been removed. The tool is provided with means whereby itcan be en gaged and removed from the pipe in case this should benecessary and-also has provision for permitting circulation downwardlythrough the pipe string without the necessity of removing I the toolfrom th pipe. Thus, the use of the tool does not interfere in any mannerwith drillin operations and the drilling crew is enabled to -keep thehole full of drilling fluid without the It. A quantity of drilling fluidor mud I6 is Y shown within the drill pipe and'in the annular spacesurrounding the drill pipe.

The cleaning tool comprises a body member having a plurality oi sections18, 20, 2 and 24 secured together as by threaded co ections. Thesections of the tool may be formed of any suitable heavy material -ormetal such as iron. The upper section it comprises acylindrical portionhaving at its upper end a spear head 26 adapted to be engaged by asuitable overshot on a wire line or cable in case it is. desired toremove the tool from the pipe. The cylindrical portion of the section Itis provided with a shoulder 28 and around the cylindrical portiondirectly below this shoulder is mounted a swab rubber 30. This swab isof such size as to engage the inner surface of the pipe Ill as the toolmoves through the pipe. The section I8 is provided with a vertical fluidpassage 32 having one or more upwardly projedz'lng branches 34.

of flush Joint drill pipe, is inserted in the upper end of the sectionI! is also provided with a cylindrical passage 36 in alignment with the'extending outwardly. The section 22 may be any desired length such as orIII feet and any desired number of these sections 22 may be 'con-.

nected together depending on the weight which it is desired to give thetool. y

In operation, when it is desired to pull the string of drill pipe Illfrom the hole the kelly is first removed and the cleaning tool is theninserted in the open end of the uppermost section of pipe as shown inthe drawing. The tool will slide downwardly in the pipe forcing thedrilling fluid ahead of it until, as has been explained hereinbefore, alevel is reached such that the weight of the drilling fluid forceddownwardly and out of the drill pipe will equal the weight oi the toolitself. The tool will naturally slide downwardly a distance depending onthe weight of the tool and the nature and weight of the drilling fluidand the body member should be provided with a number of. weight sections22 suflicient to cause the tool to remain at a level below the derrickfloor. The upper section 01 the pipe Ill can then be unthreaded andremoved and as the pipe string is again' raised the tool will tend toremain at its former level below the floor oi the derrick and the secondand remainwardly through the pipe.

11 for any reason it is desired to circulate drill- 'ing fluiddownwardly through thepipe while the cleaning tool is in the pipe, thiscan be done without removing the tool since the fluid will pass throughpassages 34, I2 and 34, pastthe check valve 42 and outwardlythroughpassages 38. In case the tool isresting upon the drill bit thecirculating fluid can pass inwardly and downwardly through the passagesii and 48 and,

sary. The cost of maintenance of the tool is extremely low since theonly wearing part is the swab rubber which is inexpensive and can beeasily replaced.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the invention asabove-set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scopetheroi, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as areindicated by the appended claim.

I claim:

A device for cleaning'the inside of a string of drill pipe having adrilllbit on the lower end thereof, comprising a body member adapted toslide downwardly through said pipe string, resilient means on saidbodymember adapted to engage the inner surface oi said pipe, said bodymember being provided with a longitudinal fluid passage, a valve seat insaid passage, a valve in said passage below. said seat, resilient springmeans for forcing said valve upwardly toward said seat to close saidpassage, a nozzle shaped projection on the lower end of said body memberadapted to engage said drill bit, and a second fluid passage extendingfrom the outside of said body member downwardly through said projection,the arrangement being such that fluid circulated downwardly through saidpipe will pass through said first mentioned passage past said valve,through said second passage and out through said projection.

' I EDGAR J. TURNER,

